1/5/2025 - Epiphany of the Lord

The Great Choice of the Magi

The Magi's visit is celebrated as the Epiphany, marking the revelation of Christ to the Gentiles. In our contemporary world, where faith is often challenged, this feast reminds us Catholics of the ongoing need for Christ to be revealed in our lives and in society. It calls us to be bearers of this revelation through our words and actions.  The Magi's long journey guided by a star represents the spiritual journey of every one of us. Like the Magi, modern believers are called to seek Christ with determination and faith. This journey often requires leaving behind the familiar and comfortable, much like the Magi left their homeland. For contemporary Catholics, this might mean stepping out of their comfort zones to live out their faith more authentically in an often-challenging secular world.

Like the Magi, we might encounter disconcerting experiences in our journey of faith. First, they met King Herod. He was certainly interested in the Child of which the Magi spoke; not to worship him, as he wished to make them believe by lying, but rather to kill him. Herod was a powerful man who saw others solely as rivals to combat. Basically, on reflection, God also seemed a rival to him. Herod is a figure we dislike, whom we instinctively judge negatively because of his brutality. Yet we should ask ourselves: is there perhaps something of Herod also in us? Might we too sometimes see God as a sort of rival? Might we too be blind to His signs and deaf to His words because we think He is setting limits on our life and does not allow us to dispose of our existence as we please or give expression to our wanton way of life with unlimited freedom?

The Magi then meet the scholars, the theologians, the experts who know everything about the Sacred Scriptures, who are familiar with the possible interpretations, who can quote every passage of it since they know it by heart and are therefore of valuable assistance to those who choose to walk on God’s path. However, St Augustine says, they like being guides to others, they point out the way much like the road signs we look out for direction on our travels; but they themselves do not travel, they stand stuck-still. For them the Sacred Scriptures were like an atlas to be studied with curiosity. Once again, we need to ask ourselves what our connection to the Sacred Scriptures is. Do you treat it as one among many means of information on life we use or do we approach it as the Psalmist suggests, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Ps. 119), our path to eternal life.

Finally, the Magi encounters the star that they followed, disappeared as they entered the palace of Herod and reappeared as they left it. There have been many theories and wonderful explanations about this star. The movie on the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ is a fascinating explanation of how a heavenly light could move, stop and change direction! But, as sages, the Magi knew that it is not with any kind of telescope but rather with the profound eyes of reason in search of the ultimate meaning of reality and with the desire for God who’s signature they saw in creation and  motivated by faith, that it is possible to meet Him, indeed, becomes possible for God to come close to us. Thus, we cannot but perceive in the beauty of the world, its mystery, its greatness and its rationality, the eternal rationality; nor can we dispense with its guidance to the one God, Creator of Heaven and of earth. If we acquire this perception, we shall see that the One who created the world and the One, who was born in a manger in Bethlehem and who continues to dwell among us in the Eucharist on our altars, are the same living God who calls us, who loves us and who wants to lead us to eternal life.

Stepping into the shoes of the Magi in quest of a higher calling, we must look at their gifts to capture the deep spiritual significance that guided them. They demonstrated sacrificial love and worship, showing the level of adulation the Magi had for the newborn King. Precious gold symbolized Jesus’s kingship, the supreme authority. We tend to throw our gold at the feet of mortals, in a show of fame and as stock of security of our fragile lives.  By presenting frankincense, the Magi recognized Jesus as "the image of the invisible God" and affirmed His divine nature. They knew that worship was a privilege not a fulfilment of a duty or placating an angry deity. By giving myrrh, the Magi unknowingly pointed to Jesus' future role as the Savior who would die for humanity's sins. Finally, humanity can triumph over sin and holiness of life is made possible for human beings. The feast of the Magi is counter cultural to our secularistic propaganda as we are asked bend low to enter the presence of God in lowly form of a helpless child and worship. What a choice! 
 Fr Tom Kunnel, C.O.